


Masks

by Starstruckangel2009



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Catatonic characters, Everyone:Remus, Food Poisoning, He's trying really hard, Heavy Angst, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Hurt Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Hurt Deceit Sanders, Implied/Referenced Torture, Memory Loss, Poison, Prosthetics, Remus is trying everyone, Starvation, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, THIS ONE IS ROUGH, Unsympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Unsympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, Unsympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Vomiting, Whump, face burning, prosthetic face, remus: no, stay safe, this whole can basically be summed up as, watch out guys, why not take care of yourself for once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starstruckangel2009/pseuds/Starstruckangel2009
Summary: In the dark side commons, there is a room locked by three key, one belonging to Deceit, another Remus, and the last to Virgil.  inside of that room are walls of mask each carefully labeled for their respective dark side. They were made to help make the dark side more easily heard by the light sides, make their influence so strong it couldn't be ignored.Someone broke in and three masks were taken. The light sides had them, the Dark sides found out soon after.The Problem? The masks are making them unsympathetic... to say the least.The bigger problem, They're not aware of it. The moments, hours, days where the mask takes over are completely gone from their memories.the Biggest problem, Remus is the only functioning Dark side left. And he's just received a letter from his brother telling him to come over.this begs the question,What do you do when you're scared of your own brother?Why slip a mask on of course.But Remus' mask is cracking in more way than one, who knows? it may completely shatter this time.and who will pick up the pieces then?
Relationships: only angst - Relationship
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

Remus was always nervous when he got a letter from Roman, especially so soon after an Endless Sunset. But it was a catch twenty two that would end with him hurt either way, and as he did not want to see anymore of the people of the imagination harmed he wrote quickly back to him and got ready. 

Or rather he had someone else write it for him, he couldn't exactly see to do that anymore, not since then, anyway. "Bring me something that'll scare the pants of my brother!" He says smiling brightly, he supposed that was the only thing he really missed about his face really, he couldn't see his creations or the fear they sparked anymore. "Sire, do you really think it's wise to see the Prince so soon after a Sunset?" One of the guards, one of Roman's that left after a Sunset left him without an arm, says doding on him as he moves around his room with practiced ease, getting ready.

"Oh I'll be fine! Don't you worry!" He says grabbing his morning star and holding his right arm out for the guard to take and lead him out to the stables. "I believe that is exactly what you said last time sire…" the guard grumbled but linked his arm with Remus' who chuckled lightly. 

"I know, but I'm sure you know what'll happen if I don't go." Remus says quietly. "Another Endless Sunset yes, they've been more frequent recently… just be careful sire, I'd hate to think about something truly terrible happening." 

"It is harder for dark sides to regenerate, but you shouldn't let that get to ya! I'm tough as nails, more than that my creations will guard the castle till I get back!" 

Silence envelopes the pair for a few moments and Remus feels the guard staring at the dark green mask pinned to this belt. "Something on your mind?" Remus asks, the guard stammers for a moment. "Will you be wearing it, sire?" 

"Yes, unfortunately I don't think Roman would recognize me without it!" Remus laughed, switching his morning star and playfully pats the guards head. "Don't worry though, I promise I won't turn out like Roman!" He pinches the guards cheek lightly and pokes his nose. "How are you certain sire?" 

"Because my reason for using this is different Roman's. And that changes everything!" Remus says as the guard leads his hands to the saddle and helps him mount the creature. 

"Bye Arnold! Take care of the castle!" 

"I will sire."

"To my brother's castle! And it's Remus!" He called over his shoulder, before slipping the cursed mask over his prosthetic face. 

Immediately the voices spilling thoughts of insanity fills his ears, and a figure sits just out of reach from him floating beside his creature as it meanders quickly along. Remus' fear fades to the calming waves of insanity, not all but enough that his shoulders loosen and his trembling stops. 

The figure leads his through Roman's castle, which he apparently changed again, it makes little Conversation only twitching and glitching every now and again. 

"You wrote brother?!" Remus said clambering into the room by smashing the door down as the figure instructioned him. "Have you done anything to me recently Remus?" Roman asked not even flinching, his back facing Remus who went ridged. 

"Depends on what we're talking about." Remus wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "This is serious Remus!" 

"Sure it is, what are you hav-!" 

"Can't you be serious for five minutes Remus!" Roman interupt angrily, turning and slamming his hands on the desk. Remus jumped and took a step back, fear gripping him for a minute before getting lost to the noise.

Seeing his reaction Roman's eyes soften and he looks remorseful. "I'm sorry Remus, I didn't…"

"It's okay, alls forgiven bro." Remus waves him off, subconsciously taking another step behind him. Roman nods turning around again."It's just that I'm noticing all these… gaps in my memory… like I Know what Thomas had to do and he still got it done but I can't remember anything from it! That and I've been snapping at everyone today! It's so unprincely! So I figured you might know something." Roman turned back to his brother, expecting to find him oblivious always, smiling with crazy barely contained giggles.

"Remus? What's wrong? Are you okay? You're shaking." Roman asked lightly grabbing his arm, trying to steady him, something was wrong, Remus had never looked that scared. 

Remus resisted the giant urge he had to yank his hand away and run, telling himself over and ove. This is Roman, not Pride or Wrath. This is my brother, who wouldn't hurt me. Eventually the figure came to stand behind him and place a hand onto his trembling shoulder quieting his shaking immediately. 

"Oh my God! Remus who did this to you!?" Roman exclaimed, retching Remus from his mind. Roman had pulled the sleeves of his shirt up, revealing burising, burns and bandaged skin. 

"It's nothing," Remus says immediately and tries to pull his arm back. "Don't lie to me! Tell me now!" Roman gripped his arm a little harder, eyes gaining a burnt orange tint. The Mask of Wrath.

Remus tries to get his arm back again, "I don't want to talk about it! Now let go!" 

"Not until you tell me who did this to you!" Roman tightens his grip again, it hurts now and is sure to give him another set of bruises. "You're hurting me! Let go!" He pulls as hard as he can, he thinks he ripps something, probably his stiches and after Deceit worked so hard on them to.

"Tell me! The-!" 

"IT WAS YOU OKAY!" Remus screams suddenly and Roman glances at his arms and let's go, horrified. He stares at his hand while Remus cradles his arms. 

All is slience untill Remus goes down. Hits the lfloor as a pool of red gathers around his waist.


	2. the truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus doesn't lie, we all know that. so he tells Roman what happened.

What remus had said continued to bounce around in his head while the medics worked on his brother in another room, they had refused to let him in saying that Remus had made A small protocols for them to follow for when he got hurt like this. 

By me. 

The list of protocols had been graciously given to him by one of the medics and he stared at it in his hands. Looking at it only made him sick, Remus was near the bottom of the page, the end of the instructions, the last thing to be cared for. What took up most of the page? Him. 

Before the medics even looked at Remus they came to him and looked at his eyes, when prompted they gave him the protocol. According to it they were searching for any hints of light or dark orange, after they checked that the medic informed him that he wouldn't be able to see Remus, and that he needed to calm his Wrath. While that made little sense to Roman he did try to follow her instructions. 

"Can I see him yet? I've brought him some soup!" 

The medic looked at his eyes again, "The Lord is still sleeping, be careful with him." The medic warned and waved him into a small guest room.

Roman entered the room but his brother was no were in site. "Remus?" He called shutting the door and putting the bowl of soup on the night stand. "Rem-!" The sound of a muffled sob cut him off. Roman glanced under the bed on a whim, and was very surprised to find Remus pressed into a corner under the bed. "There you are! What are you doing under the bed?" He helps Remus get back into bed and frowns at his brother's puffy face he tries to ignore the bruises and scars all over his torso and the way that his ribs are visible.

"Care to explain what you said earily?" Roman pressed. Remus looked away, "Here, Patton made it for you." Roman urges puting the tray in his lap, Remus looks briefly at it before sighing. 

"I'm going to try and explain this as best I can, this is more Deceits territory than mine. And try not to interrupt okay?" Roman nodded. 

"Alright, so in the dark side commons there's a locked door that can only be opened by three keys that we each have one of. Behind that door is a room full of masks that are labeled." Remus begins, tugging lightly on his face to remove the cursed mask there. "This is my mask, the mask of insanity." 

"One day the three of us discovered three masks had gone missing, our only two Repression masks which we used to stop ourselves if we got out of hand, calming Virgil down to prevent Anxiety from reaching Thomas for example. And our twin' mask that represented Pride and Wrath symotanoiously. You three, Logan, Patton and you Roman had broken in and stolen them." 

Roman suddenly felt a flash of anger at the accusation but pushed it down and let his brother talk. "I can tell you don't believe me so let me tell you a story Brother, one that I can guarantee does not end with happily ever after after." 

"It all started when Virgil appeared in our mindscape one morning…."

I was readying to go into your side of the imagination, per several desperate requests from the people of your kingdom, when I heard Deceit screaming for me in the commons. Deceit rarely raises his voice much less screams like that, so I dropped everything and ran to the commons.

"There was blood everywhere Roman. And it all came from Virgil." 

Deceit obliviously was too distraught to do much of anything aside from stare, scream and sob at the state Virgil was in, so I took the reagins on treating his injuries.I asked him “Who did this to you?” while I was treating him and he said, “You wouldn’t believe me.” I told him to try me, and he said “the Light sides.” before he fainted. By the time I finished treating him that Deceit had ran off to confront Logan and Patton. Virgil was stable but I Still had no Idea when he’d wake up, if he would at all and after all I’d seen, I needed some time to myself. 

“You left him there alone?!”

“Not without proper precautions, I Locked our mindscape off, Placed a bunch of guards in his room, and made an alarms system before I even thought of leaving him.” 

I deicded to head to your kingdom Roman, one to see if all the hubub I heard was connected to what happened to Virgil and our missing masks. But when I walked out into the imagination, you were already there. 

“You had destroyed my castle and burned all of my creations and my people to the ground by the time I walked through. And then you captured me in the chaos.”

When I woke up Back in your side of the Imagination I knew you three had stolen those masks from us, your eyes were two shade of Orange instead of Red meaning you were wearing the mask of Pride and Wrath. 

“... Did I hurt you then?” 

Remus nodded. “How?”

“Let just say you did things to me that I had never even thought of.”


	3. chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman eats soup, Remus' mask falls off and Roman loses his cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: food poisoning, sickness, vomiting, collapsing, blacking out talk of past face burning, implied unsympathetic/abusive Roman, bruises, blood, broken bones, cursing.
> 
> in other words, shit gets real, stay safe everyone

Roman knocked on the door, it was late but he couldn't sleep. There was one other thing he wanted to ask about but do to Remus collapsing he didn't get the chance. "Remus?" Are you still up?" 

The light sound of snoring answered him, and Roman smiled a little, Glad that his brother was getting some much-needed rest. He frowned a little at seeing the still full bowl of soup, untouched d. Patton will be disappointed. His own stomach growled in response, he'd skipped dinner from worrying over Remus. 

I'm sure he won't mind, besides it's best not to waste it. Roman picks up the bowl, still warm and steaming thanks to the imagination, he sits in the chair at Remus' bedside and begins to eat. 

Halfway through he begins to feel ill, the soup should be fine, preserved by the imagination, not that there should be anything in there to spoil anyway. Patton said it was a light and simple broth. 

Wait, Patton Made this for Remus. Although his brother was tight-lipped on the details, he had described their behavior as "unsympathetic," though it was clear that wasn't what he really wanted to label it. Could Patton have poisoned the soup? The thought shivers down his spine, he wants to deny it, think there's no possible way but looking at Remus laying in bed countless injuries poking out from beneath the gaze, at his pale and thin form his cheeks slightly sunk into his face. He's clearly malnourished and most definitely hungry. If he knew or even though it may have been poisoned it'd explain why he didn't eat it.

Dizzy and light headed he makes his way to the bathroom in Remus' room in time to reach the toilet and violently throw up the contents of his stomach into it. 

"Roman?" The side in question didn' respond, only turned back to the toilet. “Do I need to get the nurse?” Roman shakes his head, breathing heavily, stomach finally empty it would seem. His vision spins, he turns to Remus and collapses.

It’s foggy when he wakes up, he’s in his bedroom, Remus seems to be asleep in the recliner in the corner curled up with one of the blankets. He's changed into a dark green shirt and pj pants. Quietly Roman stands, blinking back the dizziness he feels. He makes his way over to the recliner and slips his arms under Remus' form. 

His intent is to place him back into his bed, all while continuing to wonder how in the Hell Remus still wanted to be around him after all he seemed to have done to him. An intent that was interrupted when something falls from Remus’ face.

He glances down at it and frowns, it's a mask, but this one was different from the mask he showed him earlier. 

This one is in the image of Remus' face, right down to the mustache.

He feels horror pool in his gut, time slows as he looks at Remus’ face. 

He shrieks and drops his brother, scrambling away from him in terror. Remus’ face is unrecognizable, burned, scratched and mangled beyond any sort of recognition, Roman feels sick all over again just looking at it. “Roman?” Remus asks rubbing his side, a pair of grey-green eyes open looking in his direction but not at him. His eyes don't appear to focus either.

“Sweet Cheese and crackers! Remus, can you even see?! And by Odin's beard what happened to your face?!”

Realization hit like a hammer to his face. “Did… Did I do that?”

Remus nodded, it was small, barely a jerk, but a nod nonetheless. 

Roman deflated Just what other horrors have I committed? He thought and his vision started to go a little orange around the edges like it tended to when he was feeling insecure. 

“It’s Okay Roman, you weren-!”

“OKAY? OKAY? REMUS, I BURNED YOUR FACE OFF, IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS THAT ANYWHERE NEAR OK?!” Roman screamed at Remus, ignoring the way Remus jumped and scrambled into the corner away from him as he stormed over to the cowering side. His vision was nearly overtaken with burnt orange and he was just. So. Angry. 

Not at Remus, but at himself. 

The sobbing was what brought him back to reality.

The first thing Roman saw was Remus with a clearly broken nose, blackened eye, and busted lip. The bandages the nurse had spent hours wrapping around Remus because he couldn’t sit still are torn to ribbons on the floor. But the worst. 

The worst is the bruises.

They range from the black eye to the bleeding soles of his feet. 

Roman’s 90% sure that’s not the way Remus’s forearm should be twisted that way. Pretty sure his foots not meant to be backward either. 

It the handprint like bruises around Remus’ neck that scare him the most.

All at once, Roman becomes aware of the searing pain in his knuckles and a heavy wave of exhaustion. Feelings he’s familiar but equated them to a work out before now. 

He quickly gets off Remus, to his horror he was sitting on his poor stomach, and stares at the sight before him. Remus has stopped crying and is blinking dazed at him, he’s not moving other than that. 

“I’m… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Remus,” he says and Remus doesn’t respond. He goes to run his hands through his hair and shudders at the sticky substance on them. Glancing at the mirror, his uniform has splatters of blood on it. 

“I… You shouldn’t be near me.” 

It’s all too much for him at the moment. 

With one last apology, Roman runs out of the room, ringing the bell for the nurse to come as he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to talk to me about this hell that I just thrusted upon you all I have a Tumblr it's @starstruckangel2009


End file.
